8274.
Portion of an Orphrey, embroidered on parchment with glass, coral, gold beads, and seed pearls, having also small bosses and ornaments in silver-gilt. The ground is dark blue, on which is figured the B. V. Mary nimbed and crowned within an oblong aureole terminated by scrolls ending in trefoils and cinquefoils. Venetian, late 12th century.
That this curious and elaborate piece of bead embroidery must have been part of an orphrey for a chasuble, and not a maniple, is evident from the pointed shape in which it ends. From its style, and the quantity of very small beads and bugles which we see upon it, it would seem to have been wrought either at Venice itself, in some of its mainland dependencies, or in Lower Styria. Then, as now, the Venetian island of Murano wrought and carried on a large trade in beads of all kinds; and the silversmith’s craft was in high repute at Venice. Finding, then, this remnant of a liturgical vestment so plentifully adorned with beads, bugles, and coral, besides being so dotted with little specks of gold, and sprinkled with so many small but nicely worked silver-gilt stars, we are warranted in taking this embroidery to have been wrought somewhere in North East Italy or South West Germany, upon the borders of the Adriatic. Those fond of ecclesiastical symbolism will look upon this old piece of needlework with no small interest, and observe that it was by intention that the ground was blue. It is figured in Dr. Bock’s “Geschichte der Liturgischen Gewänder Mittelalters,” 1 Band, 2 Lieferung, pt. x. s. 275.